1964 state highway renumbering (Washington) facts for kids
 
1964 state highway renumbering
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Quick facts for kids Highway names |
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| Interstates: | Interstate X (I-X) |
| US Routes: | U.S. Route X (US X) |
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| State highways in Washington Interstate • US • State Former PSH • 1964 renumbering • Former SR |
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The 1964 state highway renumbering was a big change for how roads were named in the U.S. state of Washington. This new system used "Sign Routes" (SR), which are now called "State Routes." It replaced an older system from 1937 that used "primary" and "secondary" highways. The new signs first appeared in January 1964. The new system officially became law in 1970.
History of Road Names
The old way of naming roads, with letters and confusing branches, made it hard for drivers to know where they were going. Imagine trying to follow directions when the road names were all mixed up! This old system also didn't work well with the federal highway system or the new Interstate Highway System that was being built.
State road officials thought about changing the system in 1957. But they really started planning a full renumbering in 1962. Their main goal was to replace the confusing letter names with two- or three-digit numbers. These new numbers would be unique and wouldn't clash with federal road numbers.
In 1963, the Washington State Legislature passed a law to create a new road numbering system. This happened because many tourists got lost during the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle. The state's road commission approved the new plan in June 1963. They decided to use even numbers for roads going east-west and odd numbers for roads going north-south. Important main roads would get lower numbers. Smaller, secondary roads would use the first digit of their main parent route. Federal highways, like Interstates, kept their original numbers and were included in the new system. The new numbering system started on January 15, 1964. New signs were put up across the state, costing about $115,000.
How Roads Were Renumbered
Many roads in Washington got new numbers during this big change. The goal was to make it much easier for everyone to understand the state's road network. For example, some parts of what used to be called "Primary State Highway 2" became parts of the new SR 2 and SR 90. Roads like SR 3 and SR 6 were given new, simpler numbers that covered their entire routes.
The new system also included major federal highways. For instance, I-5 became SR 5 within the state's new system. This helped connect the state roads with the national road network.
Sometimes, a single old road was split into several new ones, or different old roads were combined into one new route. This made the system more logical. For example, parts of the old "Primary State Highway 1" became sections of SR 5, SR 99, and SR 520.
Over the years, some of these new numbers changed again as roads were built or improved. But the 1964 renumbering was a very important step. It created the clear and organized state highway system that Washington uses today.
